State GOP chairman already looking to 2014

Published: Monday, November 12, 2012 at 6:53 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, November 12, 2012 at 6:56 p.m.

The Republican Party swept all statewide offices in Alabama and made major advances in many counties in this year’s election. State GOP Chairman Bill Armistead says the party already is making plans to continue that success in 2014.

Armistead told the Etowah County Republican Women Monday that the GOP will continue to focus on county-level races, as was the case this year.

“I’m already thinking about 2014 and not dwelling too much on 2012,” he said.

Armistead noted that as late as 1994, the Republicans had no statewide officeholders. Now it holds them all, along with six of seven congressional seats and both U.S. Senate seats, and controls both houses of the Legislature. Alabama also has voted Republican in the last nine presidential elections.

“That’s what I call a real turnaround,” Armistead said. “I never thought I would see a day when we had every statewide Republican. We’re in a Republican state.”

Two years ago, Armistead said, Republicans only had 20 of 67 probate judgeships and 17 circuit clerks. The party now has 32 probate judges and 29 circuit clerks.

“We’ve made some progress the last two years, and that’s what we intended to do,” he said.

There were contested races for 213 county offices, with 149 having been held by Democrats and 64 by Republicans. Republicans won 67 of the seats that had been held by Democrats, and Democrats won 22 of the seats held by Republicans, according to the state GOP.

The party targeted about 20 counties in the state and had success for the first time in a number of them.

“The bottom line is we targeted county races and we won,” he said. “You get your foot in the door and then we just continue to work hard.

“Once they voted Republican, it’s not so painful after all,” he said. “You can vote Republican and it doesn’t hurt very much at all. In fact, it feels real good — sort of cleansing when you vote Republican.” Armistead said Republicans didn’t do anything “wrong” to lose the presidential election and not capture control of the U.S. Senate, Democrats just had a better “ground game” in identifying voters and getting them to the polls, a strategy they had been working on for four years.

He said Republicans would be looking at technology to help in future elections.

Democrats overwhelmingly carried the black and Hispanic vote, and Armistead said people have asked him what Republicans must do to turn that around.

“I just think that we’ve got to continue to stress that our policies and our philosophy (are) good for them,” Armistead said.

He said the key will be convincing people that voting Republican will create more jobs because of the party’s pro-business stance. “... We do like to have a president that thinks it’s good to have corporations making a profit so we can invest in jobs and bring more people into the workplace,” he said. “That’s what we believe in.

“But so many people went the other way,” he said, “because as you know, there are many people that ... like the federal subsidies they get, so that gets some people more inclined to vote for those that are handing out the federal subsidies.”

Armistead said an “outreach program” is needed for minorities, and that Republicans need to try to recruit candidates “from all demographic groups.”

William Stewart, retired chairman of the political science department at the University of Alabama, told the Associated Press that the strong Republican showing in the presidential and statewide races indicates the majority of Alabamians are conservative and don’t like the national Democratic Party. However, he said many Alabama voters are willing to split their ballots to vote for Democrats in county races where they know the candidates.

Stewart said county courthouses will likely remain the base of the Democratic Party for the next few years.

“I don’t see how they can win statewide races any time real soon,” he said.

State Democratic Chairman Marc Kennedy told the AP that the fact that even with their gains, Republicans still are in the minority in county offices, shows the GOP’s strategy has failed.

Kennedy is plotting a comeback in 2014, a big election year when the governor, Legislature and other state offices will be on the ballot.

“We will study the Alabama electoral map, be strategic in what we do and invite all Alabamians to join us as we continue to rebuild the Alabama Democratic Party,” he said.

<p>The Republican Party swept all statewide offices in Alabama and made major advances in many counties in this year's election. State GOP Chairman Bill Armistead says the party already is making plans to continue that success in 2014.</p><p>Armistead told the Etowah County Republican Women Monday that the GOP will continue to focus on county-level races, as was the case this year.</p><p>“I'm already thinking about 2014 and not dwelling too much on 2012,” he said. </p><p>Armistead noted that as late as 1994, the Republicans had no statewide officeholders. Now it holds them all, along with six of seven congressional seats and both U.S. Senate seats, and controls both houses of the Legislature. Alabama also has voted Republican in the last nine presidential elections.</p><p>“That's what I call a real turnaround,” Armistead said. “I never thought I would see a day when we had every statewide Republican. We're in a Republican state.”</p><p>Two years ago, Armistead said, Republicans only had 20 of 67 probate judgeships and 17 circuit clerks. The party now has 32 probate judges and 29 circuit clerks.</p><p>“We've made some progress the last two years, and that's what we intended to do,” he said.</p><p>There were contested races for 213 county offices, with 149 having been held by Democrats and 64 by Republicans. Republicans won 67 of the seats that had been held by Democrats, and Democrats won 22 of the seats held by Republicans, according to the state GOP.</p><p>The party targeted about 20 counties in the state and had success for the first time in a number of them.</p><p>“The bottom line is we targeted county races and we won,” he said. “You get your foot in the door and then we just continue to work hard.</p><p>“Once they voted Republican, it's not so painful after all,” he said. “You can vote Republican and it doesn't hurt very much at all. In fact, it feels real good — sort of cleansing when you vote Republican.” Armistead said Republicans didn't do anything “wrong” to lose the presidential election and not capture control of the U.S. Senate, Democrats just had a better “ground game” in identifying voters and getting them to the polls, a strategy they had been working on for four years.</p><p>He said Republicans would be looking at technology to help in future elections.</p><p>Democrats overwhelmingly carried the black and Hispanic vote, and Armistead said people have asked him what Republicans must do to turn that around.</p><p>“I just think that we've got to continue to stress that our policies and our philosophy (are) good for them,” Armistead said.</p><p>He said the key will be convincing people that voting Republican will create more jobs because of the party's pro-business stance. “... We do like to have a president that thinks it's good to have corporations making a profit so we can invest in jobs and bring more people into the workplace,” he said. “That's what we believe in.</p><p>“But so many people went the other way,” he said, “because as you know, there are many people that ... like the federal subsidies they get, so that gets some people more inclined to vote for those that are handing out the federal subsidies.”</p><p>Armistead said an “outreach program” is needed for minorities, and that Republicans need to try to recruit candidates “from all demographic groups.”</p><p>William Stewart, retired chairman of the political science department at the University of Alabama, told the Associated Press that the strong Republican showing in the presidential and statewide races indicates the majority of Alabamians are conservative and don't like the national Democratic Party. However, he said many Alabama voters are willing to split their ballots to vote for Democrats in county races where they know the candidates.</p><p>Stewart said county courthouses will likely remain the base of the Democratic Party for the next few years.</p><p>“I don't see how they can win statewide races any time real soon,” he said.</p><p>State Democratic Chairman Marc Kennedy told the AP that the fact that even with their gains, Republicans still are in the minority in county offices, shows the GOP's strategy has failed.</p><p>Kennedy is plotting a comeback in 2014, a big election year when the governor, Legislature and other state offices will be on the ballot.</p><p>“We will study the Alabama electoral map, be strategic in what we do and invite all Alabamians to join us as we continue to rebuild the Alabama Democratic Party,” he said.</p>
<p class="italic font120">The Associated Press contributed to this story</p>